Vertically extended dead light panel of passenger railway cars



July 21, 1953 I Filed may 27, 1949 5 Sheets-shewv l July 21, 1953 R. EKSERGIAN ETAL 2,646,003

VERTICALLY EXTENDED DEAD LIGHT PANEL OF PASSENGER RAILWAY CARS Filed May 27, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheer. 2

o m Y 6 x Y Z R m U R 1 4 m x a 0 T? O m a w 7, W V d A w m m Rupe MLC July 21, 1953 R. EKSERGIAN ET AL VERTICALLY EXTENDED DEAD LIGHT PANEL OF PASSENGER RAILWAY CARS 3 Sheets-Shemv 3 Filed May 27, 1949 Ru pen Eksergicm Michael WclHet ATTORNEY Patented July 2 1 195.?

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VERTICALLY EXTENDED DEAD LIGHT PANEL OF PASSENGER RAILWAY CARS Rupen Eksergian, Media, and Michael Watter,

' Philadelphia, Pa., assignors to The Budd Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application May 27, 1949, Serial N 0, 95,644

' 7 Claims. l

The invention relates to a'specific type of side wall construction for railway cars made largely of sheet metal. The previously suggested type of construction has vertical posts arranged in pairs between Window" openings and interconnected above and below the opening by inwardly facing hat-section moldings, horizontal dead light webs and shear panels, .and it has the posts of each pair interconnected between the openings by structural dead light panels,

The object of the invention is a general strengthening of the above specified type of construction and, particularly, the avoidance of stress concentrations at the corners of the window openings.

The objects of the invention are, generally speaking, achieved by vertically extending the dead light panels and webs and the shear panels, or at least one or more of these members, beyond the level heretofore considered appropriate.

The objects, features and advantages of the invention will be more fully and more easily understood from the illustration of several embodiment of the invention in the attached drawing and from the following detailed description.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a diagrammatic small-scale side elevation of a passenger railway car to which the invention may be applied;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary elevation, on a larger scale, of the region of the railway car surrounded by the dot-and-dash line 2 in Figure l, certain parts of the outer panels of the roof being broken away to expose the underlying structure;

Figure 3"is a fragmentary perspective view and a section along line 3-3 of Figure 2 of the side wall in the region of one of the posts, again certain parts of the panels being broken away and sectioned;

Figure 4 is an inside perspective View and section along line 4-2 of Figure 2;

Figures 5 and 6 are fragmentary vertical sections, on a still larger scale, along the corre-- spondingly numbered lines of Figure 2;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary side elevation of a portion of a side wall in the region between two window openings, certain parts being broken away, illustrating a second embodiment of the invention;

Figures 8 and 9 are vertical fragmentary sections, on a larger scale, along the correspondingly numbered lines of Figure 7;

Figure 10 is a fragmentary side elevation similar to Figure '7 but of a third embodiment of the invention;

Figures 11 and 12 are fragmentary vertical sections, on a larger scale, along the correspondingly numbered lines of Figure 10; and

Figures 13, 14, and 15 are fragmentary horizontal sections along the correspondingly numbered line of Figures 2, 7 and 10, respectively, illustrating the diiferences between the three embodiments in the upper post. region.

The railway car illustrated in Figure 1 presents an elongated hollow body of generally prismatic shape which is supported near its ends by trucks 2%) and comprises a pair of sidewalls 21 (only one shown) and a roof 22. The side walls 2i surround a series of large window openings 23.

.Side wall 2| comprises a plurality of vertically spaced chord structures, a, bottom chord 0r sill 24, a lower window chord 25, a window header 26 and, a top rail or chord 21. The last-named chord, prior to the final assembly of the body, preferably constitutes simultaneously the roof sleeper and a part of the roof unit rather than of the side wall unit.

The longitudinal chord structures 2 3 to 21 are interconnected by a plurality of longitudinally spaced vertical post members 28 arranged in pairs with close spacing between adjacent window opening 23.

The skeleton framework formed by the chord structures 24 to'2'l and the posts 28, is covered on,

the outside, strengthened, diagonally braced and rigidified by sheet metal structural panels ineluding a longitudinally corrugated lower panel sheathing 29, dead :light panels 30 between the window openings, and a letter board panel sheathing 3|. The panels 29 and 3| are referred to hereinafter as shear panels.

The roof 22 comprises longitudinally spaced. transverse carlines 32'having their ends secured in the top rail or sleeper 21, and a longitudinally corrugated roof sheathing 33 secured to the carline 32 and along its lower margin to the letter board panel 3|.

Gussets 34 connect the upper ends of the posts 28 with the roof sleeper on the inside of the wall. Other gusset plates, such as indicated'at 35, conheat the sections of the longitudinal chord structures, e. g., of the window header 2%, where they are interrupted by the posts 28 with each other and with the posts.

Inwardly facing, longitudinally extending hat sections are secured to the outside of the side wall. One such section forms a rub rail 36 along the bottom chord 24, another such section forms a belt rail 31 along the lower window chord 25, and a third such section forms a window header molding 38 along window header 26.

The general construction described so far, in itself, does not constitute the invention to be covered by the present application but is closed, for instance, in the earlier applications of Albert G. Dean, Serial No. 782,000, filed October 24, 1947, for Cover Panels for Vehicles Especially Railway Cars, now Patent No. 2,592,545, and Serial No. 38,727, filed July 14, 1948, for Roof and Side Wall Construction of Bodies for Land Vehicles, Especially Railway Cars, now Patent No. 2,514,123. These are assigned to the same assignee as the present application. The subject matter of the present application resides in improvements now to be described.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 to 6 and 13, the dead light panels 30 are upwardly extended at 39 and downwardly extended at 40 beyond the upper and lower margins, respectively, of the window openings 23. The extensions 39, 40 are wider than the middle portion 4| between the openings 23 and form the rounded corners 42 of the openings. The dead light panel 30 and its extensions 39, 40 are secured over their entire height by spot welds 43 to the outer arms 44 of the channel-section posts 28 and in the region of overlap to the outer arms 45, 46, 4! of the chord structures 24, '25 and 26, The downward extension 40 is also secured, preferably by the spot welds indicated in Figures 3 and 4, to the shear panel 29.

A continuous, longitudinally extending web, band or strip 48 is arranged below the window openings and forms the lower margins thereof. This strip is so. wide that it is overlapped by the upper and lower arms or flanges 49 of the belt rail 31. The shear panel 29 is upwardly extended so as to terminate with the upper margin of belt rail 31. The flanges 49, the shear panel 29, the web or strip 48, the outer arms 46 of the chord structure 25, the downward extensions 40 of the dead light panels 30 and the outer arms 44 of the posts 28, in their regions of overlap, are structurally connected with each other by spot welds 50. The downward extension of web 48 and the upward extension of shear panel '29, or one of them combine with belt rail 31 to provide a closed-box-sectional belt rail structure which adds considerably to the strength of the side wall structure, especially in the regions where stress concentrations are encountered, that is, at the lower corners of the window openings 23. Further strengthening for the same purpose is achieved by the continuous longitudinal extension of the web 48 across the posts 28 and by the downward extension 40 of the dead light panels 30 to the lower chord structure 24.

The letter board 31 above the window openings is downwardly extended at 5| to form the upper margins of the window openings. This extension 5! of the letter board is overlapped by both arms or flanges 52 of the header molding 38. The arms 52, the letter board extension 5|, the outer arm 4! of header rail 26, the upper extension 39 of dead light panel 39, and the outer arms 44 of the posts '28 are structurally secured'together by spot Welds 53. Here, too, the hat-section window header molding 38 is transformed into a strong closed box-sectional structure by its connection with the letter board extension. The upward extensions. 39 of the dead light panels 30 and the described header construction, result in great strength at the upper corners of the window openings where stress concentrations may be encountered.

Different means may be employed for accommodating variations in the number of layers of sheet metal secured to the outsides of the posts and chord structures. Figures 2, 3 and 13 show the interposition of spacer strips 54 between the outer arms 44 of. the posts and the letter board 3! in the region above the upward extension 39 of the dead light panels. Strip 48, upper margin of shear panel 29 and belt rail 31, as well as window header molding 38 and downward extension 51 of letter board 3! are outwardly joggled or oiTset in the regions where they cross the dead light panel extensions 40 and 39, respectively. Sometimes it may be found advantageous to joggle or offset the post and chord members or to provide also the chord members with spacer strips similar to the strips 54 shown for the posts.

The framework of the side wall shown in Figures '7 to 9 and 14 is practically identical with the framework described in connection with the first embodiment, so that the same reference numerals are applied and only the differences are described in the following.

The dead light panel 55 has its downward extension 56 terminated with the lower margin of belt rail 31. The lower margins of the window openings 23 are formed by separate strips or webs 51 abutting the dead. light panel extensions 56. The upper margins of the window openings 23 are formed by similar separate strips 58 abutting the upper extensionv 59 of the dead light panels, and the letter board 60 ends slightly aboveethe dead light panel extensions 59 and the strips 58 without overlapping them.

The arms or flanges 49- of the belt rail, the extension '56 of the dead light panels or the dead light panel connecting strips 5'! and the outer arms 44 and 4.6 of posts 2.8 and chord members 25, are structurally secured to each other in their regions of overlap by. spot welds resulting, as inv the previous embodiment, in a closed box-sectional structure and in great strength andrigidity at-the corners of the-window openings.

Above the window openings, great strength is achieved by the wide overlap of the upper dead light panel extensions. 59 or the dead light panel connecting strips 58 and the arm 41 of the window header 26 and by the combination with header molding 38.

The meeting edges of the dead light panels 55 and their connecting strips 51, 58 may be secured to each other at 61- by are or other fusion welding. On account of the abutting arrangement of. the dead light panels 55,. their interconnecting strips 51, 58 and the letter board :60, no variations in the number of layers of sheet metal are encountered, as in the first embodiment, doing away with the need for inserts or joggling.

In the third embodiment illustrated in Figures 10 to 12 and 15, the basic" framework is again the same as in the preceding embodiments,

and is marked in the drawings by the same ref secured to the dead light panel 62 and, respec tively, to the continuous slower web or strip 48 and the downward extension of the letter board. Apart from these differences, the construction along the upper and lower margins of the window openings is identical with the construction shown in Figures lto 6 andv 13. It may be noted, however, that the upward extension 63 in this embodiment fulfills the functions of the spacing strips 50. of the first embodiment.

The invention is not restrictedto all details of the illustrated embodiment but'is susceptible to modifications and adaptations which will easily occur to those skilled in the art.

Theinvention may, for instance, be applied to car bodies other than passenger railway car bodies which are of elongated generally prismatic shape, such as buses or baggage and similar cars for passenger railway trains.

' It should also be noted that the new construction is not necessarily applied to a body over its entire length but that it may be restricted tosuch regions where specific strength requirements have to be met. This means that some of the posts 'may have dead light panels of previously-proposed types, whereas other posts have the dead light panels extended downwardly upwardly, or both, so as to increase their strength and the strength of their connection with the adjoining chord structures and panels. In regard to the formation of the belt rail and header moldings and the connecting strips between the dead light panels, it is, however, likely that a uniform construction will be maintained throughout the length of the car in accordance with one of the different forms of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. Ina vehicle body oi. elongated shape, such as for railway passenger trains; a side wall in cluding a plurality of vertically spaced longitudinal chord structures including a bottom chord, a lower window chord, a window header chord, and a top rail; a plurality of vertical posts arranged with longitudinal spacing in pairs between window openings; a longitudinal structural sheathing member interconnecting and diagonally bracing the bottom chord, the lower window chord and the posts; a longitudinal structural sheathing member interbracing the window header, the top rail and the upper ends of the posts; and structural dead light panels interconnecting the pairs of posts between the window openings; said structural sheathing members and said dead light panels being arranged on the same side of said side wall; at least some'of said dead light panels being vertically extended beyond one of said window chords and structurally overlappingly connected through said extension with the posts and the structural sheathing member overlapped by said extension.

2. In a vehicle body, such as for railway passenger cars, of elongated shape having side walls with a series of window openings provided therein, a side wall having vertical posts between successive window openings and a chord structure along the lower margin of the window opening, said chord structure including an inwardly facing hat-section belt rail, and a structural sheathing member interbracing and connecting the posts and said chord structure below the window openings, said sheathing member being upwardly extended so as to extend across the mouth of the hat section and be overlapped by both flanges of the latter to which it is structurally connected 6'? so asto form with the hat section a continuous box-sectional structure.

3. In a passenger railway car or similar body provided with a seriesof window openings in its sidewalls, a side wallhaving a pair of posts between two successive window openings, a dead light panel interconnecting the posts on their outside and defining. the side margins of said window openings, longitudinal chord structures adjoining. and interconnecting said. posts, and a continuous sheet metal band secured fiatwise to one of said longitudinal chord structures and extending uninterruptedly along one of the hori- Zontal margins of the openings and across said posts, said band forming the horizontal margin at the window openings and tying the chord structures into the posts.

4. In a railway passenger car or similar vehicle body of elongated shape, the combination comprising a side wall provided with window openings, with a plurality of vertically spaced'longitudinally extending chord structures of which one is arranged along the lower margin and another along the upper margin of the window openings, with posts arranged between the window openings and connected with said chord structures, and with a longitudinal panel secured to one of said chord structures and said posts and extending upwardly beyond the window openings, said panel being extended longitudinally beyond said posts and vertically toward the longitudinal center of the window openings, said panel forming by its free edge the respective longitudinal margin of the window openings.

5. In a passenger railway car or the like, a side wall surrounding window openings and having posts and dead light panels between window openings and having along at least one of the horizontal sides of the openings inner longitudinally extending chord members and an outer longitudinally extending inwardly facing hat-section molding of sheet metal along a horizontal margin of a window opening, a web of sheet metal along a horizontal margin of a window opening being inserted between and secured to said chord members and both flanges of the hat section, said web projecting beyond the hat section and the chord members toward the window opening and adjoining the dead light panels at the vertical sides of the respective window opening.

6. In a railway car for passenger trains; a side wall forming part of a load supporting and stress transmitting car body; a plurality of vertically spaced longitudinal side wall chord structures including a bottom chord, a lower window chord, a window header chord, and a top rail; a plurality of vertical side wall posts arranged with longitudinal spacing inpairs between the side wall openings; a longitudinal structural sheathing member interconnecting and diagonally bracing the bottom chord, the lower window chord and the posts; a longitudinal structural sheathing member interbracing the window header chord, the top rail and the upper ends of the posts; and dead light panels interconnecting the pairs of posts between the window openings and arranged on the same side of said side wall as said sheathing members; said dead light panels being vertically extended beyond the lower window chord and the window header chord and structurally overlappingly connected through said vertical extensions with said longitudinal structural sheathing members and the posts.

'7. In a vehicle body of elongated shape, such as for railway passenger cars; a side wall incl udingaplurality' of vertically spaced longistructural sheathing member interconnecting and,

diagonally bracing the bottom chord, the lower window chord and the posts; a. longitudinal structural sheathing member interbracing the window header chord, the toprail and the upper ends of the posts; dead light panels interconnecting the pairs of posts between the window openings, at least some of said dead light panels being vertically extended beyond one of said window chords and connected with a longitudinal chord structure therebeyond and also connected through said extension with the posts and. overlapped structural sheathing member; said sheathing members, dead light panels and reinforcingmemher being arranged on the same side of. saidv 8M sidewall; and a, hat-section sheet metal reinforcing member extending longitudinally across the posts and dead light panel members, said reinforcing member being verlappingly secured, through its flanges, to a longitudinally extending panel which is, in turn, secured both to a Window chord and to said. dead light panels.

RUPEN EKSERGIAN. MICHAEL WATTER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 563,423 Smith July 7, 1896 1,090,595 Brinckerhoff Mar. 17, 1914 2,294,357 Dean et a1. Aug. 25, 1942 2,504,659 Dean Apr. 18, 1950 2,504,660 Dean Apr. 18, 1950 2,595,212 Ledwinka et aL Apr. 29, 1952 

